


Nothing You Can Do

by FBIEpidemic



Category: Mission: Impossible (Movies)
Genre: Gay Male Character, Hurt Ethan, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, M/M, William Brandt Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-15 21:03:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16071293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FBIEpidemic/pseuds/FBIEpidemic
Summary: Maybe some MI-Fallout spoilers? I mean it takes place right after so yeah, I guess... I'm so bad at this. Uh, pure trash





	Nothing You Can Do

**Author's Note:**

> Be kind pls

Brandt hangs his head. 

He’s uncomfortable and unsure of himself. 

“I can leave if you want.”

Ethan is asleep again, pulled under by the drugs that Julia is pumping into his body via the IV line in his left hand. Brandt is thankful for those drugs. Watching Ethan shift in pain, only causing himself more pain as he does so, was breaking Brandt’s heart. The drugs provide relief, if only temporary. 

“Why would I want that?” Julia looks actually confused. She’d just tossed a syringe to the side and is now pressing the cool metal of the stethoscope against Ethan’s bare chest. She hums at what she hears and then glances back at him, still waiting for an answer.

He wants to say that she should be mad because her perfectly straight ex-husband is fucking him or that he was a part of the crew that allowed her to be ‘killed’. Something, anything but he just shrugs.

“Because you're gay?” Julia asks, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. “Look, I love Ethan, I always will, but I love Ethan enough to want what’s best for him, no matter what.” She smiles at Brandt, and he can tell what it was that Ethan saw in her,” just be good to him. That’s all I care.”

She puts her things back to where they belong, leaving Brandt to ponder the meaning of what she’s said, and leaves without another word. 

“Will!”

He got in last night, around three in the morning, to find all of the team around Ethan’s bed. Crowded and laying almost on top of one another they shared chairs and foot space. No one really seemed to care who it was that nudged their shoulders and sent them off. No one even noticed that it was him or that they were leaving Ethan alone to face whoever might attack. But, all things considered, Brandt couldn’t be mad. 

They were there when Ethan woke up the first time. They were the reason that he was still breathing, what more could he ask for?

Benji crashes in Will’s arms, eager to hug the other man who had been separated from their team recently due to paperwork and politics. “Will, I can’t believe it! I thought I dreamt last night! I thought it was all just a trick of my memory from our phone call.”

_“How close, Benji?”_

_“Will, he made me promise-”_

_“Tell me dammit!”_

_“Close. He won’t be on any planes for a while.”_

_“I’ll come to you then.”_

Brandt just smiles and welcomes the clap he takes to the back from Luther. “I can’t just leave you all out here. It’s bad enough that I missed the mission but…”

The guilt in his voice is thick and Luther puts a hand on his shoulder,” nothing would have been different if you were here, Brandt. He’s just Ethan, you and I know that better than anyone.”

Brandt nods his head but deep down he can’t do anything with the guilt. He hangs his head anyways. 

“Will!” Benji is standing in the tent. He waves eagerly, motioning Brandt over. “He’s awake!”

It would, rightfully, be very gay to say that Ethan Hunt brightens Brandt’s worst days. Sometimes, it’ not even the living breathing Ethan Hunt that does it, it’s a sticky note on the fridge that apologizes for the fact that Ethan ran out of milk and so he stole Brandts. It’s walking into a room and smelling Ethan, who smells like crisp morning air and old spice. It would, rightfully, be very gay to say that William Brandt loves Ethan Hunt. 

“Hey.” Brandt pushes back the hair on Ethan’s forehead. “Are you okay?”

Ethan smiles, so hopped up on whatever it that Julia is supplying him with that he actually has some human emotions. “Better now.”

Brandt rolls his eyes,” don’t get all soppy on me.” His eyes harder,” give me the report.” The steel in the blue of Brandt’s eyes catches Ethan’s attention. He’d like to blame the ADHD happening in his head as a result of the all of the drugs being pumped into his fragile system but he knows it’s something far more simple than that.

It’s just Brandt. He has this effect on Ethan and neither can do anything about it.

“Cracked sternum,” Benji offers, attempting to get Ethan to stir into some verbal confirmation. However, their team leader continues to stare dumbly at his boyfriend. “Three broken ribs, two cracked.” Benji glances at Brandt and lowers his gaze. Now both of them are staring at one another and it feels wrong to look into this. “Several torn ligaments in his right leg.” Benji could go on. Adding a grade three concussion, a bleeding iris, and so countless other injuries to the list but…

Brandt’s body shivers with fear. He’s seen Ethan pretty bad off. Hell, on more than one account he was the one that had to put Ethan that way. The man has a knack for asking his team members to shoot him so that he can inch closer to the bad guy. This time Brandt isn’t sure what to do.

But Brandt sees something shine across Ethan’s body. 

“Don’t leave.” Ethan’s hand jerks across the sheet, clumsy movements until his hand covers the one that Brandt has clenching the bed sheets. “I am sorry.”

The sincerity in his eyes, the green that is just eaten by the sadness and the pain… who is Brandt to deny him comfort by tearing his hand away and starting an argument? “It’s okay.” He turns his own hand so that he can lace his fingers between Ethan’s and smile. “I’m just glad that you’re alive.”

He’s not lying. He can’t go on without Ethan. There is no one in his world but Ethan Hunt. 

Somewhere, deep inside, he knows that Ethan could rebound if her were to die. Hell, he’d seen that Ilsa Faust eyeballing Ethan all day. He knows that, in case of his death, Ethan would still be okay and that kinda hurts.

Ethan’s eyes are simmering out. The lines around the edges are getting deeper. The green of his bruises paling as he fights sleep. 

“Will?” His voice is soft. 

Brandt reaches out and strokes a stray piece of hair away,” you need a haircut.”

Green eyes scowl up at him and Ethan repeats his name.

“What, Ethan?”

“I love you.”

It takes Brandt by surprise. He always thought he’d be the first one to say it but to hear the words come from Ethan’s mouth he just- “Yeah, I love you too.”


End file.
